Wife left the boot slightly open and a window open. So the battery is flat, it’s pissing down, and the cars getting wet thru a rear window.

Battery is totes dead. Not even any lights. If I jump it and leave the engine running, will the alternator charge the battery if I leave it idling, or does the car need to be moving? Never had to do it before, in 25 years of driving!

Better to drive it for a while than just leave it idling.

And switch off everything electrical (ie lights, heater, radio etc) whilst you are doing it .

Alternators give their full charge out at idle (if they don’t then its broken!!).

Jump starting is fine so long as it’s not an automatic. As above, better to drive – Alternators generate more AMPS @ higher RPM.

Cool. I googled it. What can go wrong? lol

Now just trying to find a neighbour thats a) in and b)has leads

drive around 4miles abs minimum or 20mins good – don’t forget to park so can bump it again if flat again

*warning i actually bump started a clunker earlier in year first time for many years – it was old and had no electronics of significance – some newer cars may not approve of your efforts

edit not a mechanic just a child of the sixties

You might find that the battery is goosed though – especially if it is a bit older. When our kids were younger they used to play with the interior lights and a couple of times they were left on overnight and flattened the battery (which clearly wasn’t at full performance if interior lights could fully discharge it overnight). Anyway, after the second flattening and a subsequent non-use of the car for a couple of weeks and the battery stopped holding a charge altogether.

It is automatic…. Hyundai i30

sorry….. bump and jump…. 2 different things arent they?

jump as it with jump leads?
bump as in a push (where obvs auto boxes wont work)

I’m on about jumping with jump leads auto > auto

altho not as no-one has leads!

You can jump start autos – just need foot on brake as per normal to start. Window you can do up immediately. Rev it and go for a drive ideally with no lights/heater/radio etc. Be prepared for battery to be dead ie it won’t start again. New battery pretty simple if required – eurocar parts I think I used recently – lookup model on their site

Yes bump and jump are different

apologies mis read as bump

no bump auto

jump ok

Attach jump leads, close window. Then either start the car and allow to charge itself, or attach a slow charger and charge it properly, either/or. Car doesn’t need to be started to shut the window though

Oh, and it is perfectly possible to ‘bump’ start a conventional auto; you just need to be going fast enough when you drop it into D… 😈 I suspect that it’s not reccomended though…

All good. Thanks chaps. 10x man points for me.

Whenever I jump start a car, make sure the car doing the jumping has its engine running and ideally running at fast tickover. Leve it for a couple of minutes to get some charge into the dead battery and then try and start the dead car.

‘bump’ starting cars is getting to be a no no nowadays. On some engines (often fitted with cam chains) -Fords TDCI in particular the chain tensioner is pressurized by oil, the shock of bump starting can throw the chain off by a tooth wrecking the cam followers/carrier as the oil hasnt built pressure.

All good. Thanks chaps. 10x man points for me. Went for a half hour drive so hopefully enough in it to start in the morning.

Now I need the security code for the radio…

1234

If its a Renault there are android apps that generate the radio codes somehow.

‘bump’ starting cars is getting to be a no no nowadays. On some engines (often fitted with cam chains) -Fords TDCI in particular the chain tensioner is pressurized by oil, the shock of bump starting can throw the chain off by a tooth wrecking the cam followers/carrier as the oil hasnt built pressure.

What’s the difference with using the starter? You’re just turning the crank either way aren’t you?

What’s the difference with using the starter? You’re just turning the crank either way aren’t you?

http://fordtransit.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=141576&sid=fd5a910852d39e60677a212ac2882ae3

Bump starting has been a no since cat converters. Can wreck cat due to unburnt fuel getting into the exhaust.